Leaders slip into insignificance for lack of tenacity. Everything meaningful requires tenacity. The more meaningful the objective the more tenacity required.
Willpower isn’t essential to tenacity, but, terror, hope, and joy are.
Terror drives tenacity.
Hope invites tenacity.
Joy fuels tenacity.
Terror
Tenacity is a function of fear. I’m often asked how I write every day. I’m tenacious because I’m terrified of stopping. Fears drive tenacity. I’m afraid of:
- Starting again. What if I stop and can’t get started again?
- Losing ground. If I stop, I’ll lose momentum.
- Missed opportunity. What if the post I don’t write is the one that was the most important one.
- Meaningless existence. The fear I won’t matter energizes tenacity like nothing else.
The fear that I’m not tenacious makes me tenacious. Leaders lose tenacity when they lose fear.
Hope
The anticipation that you might make a difference energizes tenacity. Hope is the belief that meaningful contribution is possible.
Hope enables leadership.
Hope can’t stop. It propels forward. But, without hope, tenacity is impossible.
Tenacity dies when hope dies.
All tenacious leaders have resolute conviction – hope – they can make things better.
Joy
The joyfully belief you contributed in the past, fuels tenacity to contribute in the future.
The servant’s joy is having been useful.
The components of servant-joy are meaningful contribution coupled with self-respect. Forget about false humility. If you aren’t making a difference you’re proud of, go home.
Arrogant leaders extract help. Humble leaders extend help.
Conclusion:
Losing tenacity is a matter of losing terror, hope, and joy.
Don’t try to be tenacious find your fear, anticipate your contribution, and have enough self-respect to enjoy being helpful.
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